


Better Balance

by hollywoodproblems



Category: Star Trek, Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies), Star Trek: The Original Series
Genre: Fluff, Gen, Its a good time, M/M, Pre-Relationship, Prompt Fill, We got it all folks, adorable penguins - Freeform, theyre all bundled up, theyre slipping on ice, winter wonderland antics, you like gunther from adventure time?? oh SHIT do we got that guy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-18
Updated: 2017-12-18
Packaged: 2019-02-16 12:15:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,598
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13053807
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hollywoodproblems/pseuds/hollywoodproblems
Summary: Prompt was "Spock and Kirk, penguin like alien that is a juvenile. They're in winter Starfleet issued gear." and boy did I deliver. Kirk and Spock are escorting a penguin-like alien Zt'rudi back to its home on the ice planet Zt'ell.Jim has rosy red cheeks when he laughs. Spock notices.





	Better Balance

**Author's Note:**

> I'm a huge fan of Trek and have done a lot of writing and roleplay but this is my first time posting anything. Let me know what you think! May be open to more prompts, feel free to share at my tumblr hollywoodproblems :)

The planet Zt'ell was an ice planet: what little lands and sea it had were caked in ice and snow, and there were few species capable of withstanding the freezing temperatures. One such species were the Zt'rudi, a petite, avian- though flightless- creature known for their curious personalities and thick coat of bright blue feathers. The Zt'rudi and their planet were a fairly new discovery for Starfleet, and between the inhospitable landscape and unintelligible clicking language of the creatures, data collection was slow. Thus, when the opportunity arose to personally deliver a juvenile Zt'rudi discovered in captivity off-planet back to its people, Starfleet insisted on taking the job.

There was a long chain of commands after that which had ended with a bundled Kirk and Spock escorting a penguin-like creature through the snow. Spock mulled over that chain now as he stiffened his shoulders against the wind, wondering what exactly had gone wrong to put him in this position.

“You know Mister Spock, all bundled up like that you look an awful lot like our little friend here.”

The Vulcan didn’t have to see the grin on the face of the captain trudging ahead of him to know it was there, but Jim glanced back to flash his windswept, pink cheeks nonetheless. Spock narrowed his eyes at the man over his jacket collar, into which he had tucked the majority of his face to avoid the windchill. Not that it helped much.

“The hue of his plume is not dissimilar to that of the Starfleet issued science officer parka.”

He allowed, glancing down at his escortee as it trudged along beside him in the snow. The legs of the Zt’rudi child were extremely short, which seemed to make walking through snow difficult. Just as he looked down the Zt’rudi wobbled slightly, bracing its wing-like arm on Spock’s leg to catch its balance before continuing its trudge. Spock furrowed his brow slightly. Kirk laughed as he fell back to walk beside his first officer.

“They’re cute, aren’t they? Just like penguins on earth.”

“This Zt’rudi is a juvenile; it’s fully grown counterparts stand much taller than an earth penguin, closer in height to you in fact.”

Kirk waved a gloved hand at that.

“Yeah, yeah, I saw the reports. A penguin the size of me sounds pretty freaky, I must say I prefer lil Rudy here.”

Spock lifted an eyebrow over at his captain.

“Rudy?”

Kirk laughed again, and the Vulcan eyed the way the balls of his cheeks and the tip of his nose glowed red from the cold. He met Spock’s glance with his own blue eyes, glittering from the reflection of the snow.

“Well yeah, because-”

Suddenly the captain was cut off as he lost his footing on a patch of ice, slipping backwards with his feet out from under him. He squeezed his eyes shut for the instant he’d hit the snow but the impact never came. Instead, a firm hand pressed to his back was supporting him, and when he blinked open his eyes Spock was leaning over him with an expression as calm as always.

“Spock!”

“It appears we have reached a particularly icy terrain; please try to tread carefully, captain.”

Jim grinned like a goofball, momentarily at a loss for words. Spock was so effortlessly cool it was practically obnoxious, sometimes. He carefully regained his footing under the watchful eye of his first officer, who kept his hand at Kirk’s back until the pair turned and noticed together that their escortee had continued on without them.

“Rudy!”

Kirk called, although he could only shuffle along so fast along on the ice, struggling to catch up to their Zt’rudi friend. Spock reached the young creature first and just in time, as finally it succumbed to the slippery terrain and lost its balance. He scooped it up in his arms before it fell, hesitating to see how the Zt’rudi would react, but the creature made a kind of cooing sound and tucked itself against his side. He adjusted his grip so he could hold it with one arm, turning to face his captain just as he reached the pair.

“Mister Spock, I didn’t know being  _carried_  was an option!”

He teased, a little out of breath. Spock lifted a brow at Kirk and offered his free hand, explaining,

“This ice extends for several meters. You should use my hand for balance, as I cannot carry you both.”

Actually, he could, but this did not seem like a dire enough situation for that. 

Kirk looked bewildered by the suggestion, looking between the gloved hand and Spock’s face.

“You want to  _hold hands_ , Spock? I mean, that’s-”

He couldn’t finish protesting before losing his footing again, flailing a moment before gripping onto Spock’s hand to regain his balance. He huffed, cheeks red for a different reason as he lifted his head to look at his first officer once more, gulping once with a nod.

“Well, alright then.”

Spock made a point not to say anything more, giving his captain the space to swallow his pride as he gripped his hand and continued onward. Even through their gloves he could sense the warmth of Jim’s hand, further confirming that the captain was more furnace than human, seemingly always giving off heat. The Vulcan wasn’t sure whether to admire that or envy it.

“So, Spock,”

Kirk’s voice dragged Spock’s thoughts abruptly back to the present and away from their connected fingertips, blue eyes glancing over at him as they trudged their way through the snow together,

“Why is it that you can keep your balance so easily? It’s not like Vulcans have much experience with ice…”

He pursed his lips towards the end of his sentence, and Spock once again found himself eyeing rosy cheeks.

“Vulcans have a different center of gravity than humans- and apparently the Zt’rudi- do. I am far more dense than you both, as well.”

“Aw, I think you’ve got a lovely figure, Mister Spock, don’t be too hard on yourself.”

The captain teased before wobbling a bit on his feet and shuffling closer to the Vulcan, apparently trying to obtain some balance by proximity. The Zt’rudi was huddling in as well, likely a bit colder now that it was higher up and receiving more wind chill. Spock adjusted it in his arm to tuck it closer against his chest. He felt blue eyes on him again.

“I have to say, you look awfully cute carrying cuddly baby Rudy around…”

Spock lifted a brow over at his captain.

“ _I_  look cute?”

“Well-”

Just then the Zt’rudi began to wiggle in his arms, cooing and clicking rapidly. Spock came to a stop as he struggled with the Zt’rudi, finally gently placing it back on its feet. It immediately took off, waddling the last few steps over the bank they had been climbing. As it continued to coo and click loudly, a huge variety of Zt’rudi began to emerge from snowy caves and crowd together, cooing back to the child as he hastily waddled over. Spock used his free hand to look at his tricorder.

“It appears we have reached the Zt’rudi village.”

Kirk didn’t need the confirmation, already practically dragging Spock by the hand towards the group of Zt’rudi, excited to get a closer look. Rudy joined a group of similarly small and energetic children, who clicked with each other before beginning to shuffle towards the approaching outsiders. While the adults were more cautious the children came up close, surrounding Spock in particular and looking up at him with wide eyes, clicking and cooing at the Vulcan.

Kirk burst out laughing.

“Why, Spock, I think they think you’re one of them!”

“So it appears.”

Spock replied, reaching down to steady one of the child Zt’rudi as it wobbled. Rudy already had its wings wrapped around his leg. Kirk still chuckled, cloud puffs dancing out of his mouth into the cold air as he did. The Vulcan eyed him.

“It must be your parka, the color is pretty similar…”

Kirk reasoned between laughs. Spock hummed his agreement as he began to unravel the scarf from around his neck.

“Here.”

He offered it to the captain. Kirk blinked down in surprise at the offering, then up at the Vulcan.

“Spock?”

“For your face.” He clarified, Kirk suddenly feeling the weight of his eyes on him. “Your cheeks have become quite pink.”

“Thank you, Spock.”

Kirk seemed too dazed to argue, taking the scarf and wrapping it around his neck, tucking it in his parka collar and up over his cheeks. It was already warmed by Spock, and smelled a bit like him too, although Jim thought he wasn’t really sure how he knew what that was. He was thankful his first officer could no longer see his cheeks as they twinged pinker.

A larger, adult Zt’rudi approached them and clicked, gesturing with its wing towards a cave, the entrance walls flickering from the fire it had inside. Kirk was relieved to see bare stone made up the floor of the cave- finally a reprieve from the snow and ice.

“You want us to come in? Alright.”

He offered out of goodwill despite knowing it would not understand what he said, following with Spock as it led them over.

“Captain, as we are no longer navigating icy terrain, we need not continue to hold hands.”

Spock pointed out as they made their way towards the cave together.

“I know.”

Kirk responded without looking over. And they left it at that. Ice or not, this felt like better balance.


End file.
